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Manly Library, Whistler St car park and the surrounding plazas areas are the true heart of Manly for many locals. Referred to as the Whistler Street triangle, the area is alive with cool cafes and on-trend eating options. But it’s been let down by poor maintenance, multiplying garbage bins, and a lack of viable forward planning.

Garbage bins in Market Place and (above) Manly Library with its oversize fire escape and cluttered bike racks.

​Good For Manly is pushing for a reset; with a call for a longterm plan, as well as an immediate clean-up and re-furbishment.

“We need to rethink this area,” Good For Manly President and Northern Beaches Council Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham said.

“The Whistler St triangle is right at the heart of Manly Village. Some parts, such as Whistler St car park have just been allowed to run down, and the whole area looks shoddy and un-loved.

“I’m asking Northern Beaches Council to take immediate action to repaint, or at least clean, the outside of the library and refurbish the toilets there and in the car park. Also to get rid of all the garbage bins in Market Lane and around the plaza and provide an area for the businesses to store their bins somewhere else. And to take action on Whistler St car park to improve signage, lighting, line marking and painting."

Cr Bingham said the Manly 2015 plan put forward by the former Manly Council would have revamped the central area, but involved virtually selling it off via a 99-year-lease to developers. The village would have ended up grossly over-developed and with a high-rise apartment block at its heart. That plan also relied upon the development of the Manly Oval car park which has now been discredited and cancelled.

“Thanks goodness that’s not going ahead now,” Cr Bingham said. “With the huge support of the local community we saved Manly Oval and now have the opportunity to revamp the Whistler Stret triangle into something special".

Cr Bingham has put a motion to Northern Beaches Council for a short-term fix, and a longer term plan for the whole Market Place precinct.

I'm glad that something has started on the carpark. Painting it and creating a hanging garden would beautify it and the rest could follow.

Reply

Jack Steggall

5/12/2017 10:06:54 am

Heaps of work can be done to upgrade the appearance and use of the car park. Candy's suggestions are all excellent. Bin placement to be looked at, signage for the car park sorted out (speak to Craig Smith), relocate the Library fire escape opening up the triangle at the arcades, hanging gardens or panelling over the car park levels as at Woolworths at St Leonards, Rosebery St and the Mall etc.. The former Council under Jean Hay just let the structure deteriorate to enhance the redevelopment of the site, losing the car park in favour of a residential development.

Reply

Peter Butcher

5/12/2017 10:53:34 am

Early morning (645am) as many as four large and very noisy garbage trucks from all different companies proceed through this area plus the pub trucks.
I suggest one only company service this strip and using smaller quieter trucks.

Reply

Jim

5/12/2017 06:02:35 pm

Hi Candy
This once attractive urban space has not received any decent and consistent attention for 19 years. The colour scheme designed by Brian Wilson and adopted by Council has been totally ignored in recent years by present management in fact science Brian retired Manly,s urban fabric as gone down hill.Almost every street has a different paving style with recent paths a mixture of black granite and concrete ramps, no design and little finesse It’s like being in a tardy house with a different carpet used in every room.
The artist designed tree guard as become a bicycle stand with others littering the area.
In the short term (before Christmas) the whole area needs to be pressure washed, painted using Brian’s palette of colours, getting rid of the black, cleaning inside the light covers, removing the bikes and strict management of the wheely bins.
Long term it needs sensitive design preferable not by a new consultant but the one used for Sydney Road to get a little uniformity and even pull up the black granite recently laid between the two spaces. The library fire stair of course needs to be addressed to reduce its dominance and more greenery would be a bonus.

Reply

max harvey

6/12/2017 05:53:27 am

Hi Candy,
The car park needs an overhaul with some hanging greenery and screening with architectural adornments, as has been done at the Mall. The car spaces should be reduced and a little more space per bay provided. The big SUV's make parking next to them exciting, but difficult to get out of the car. Maybe we can add two more stories and over the library so then the rubbish bins could be relocated to ground level so they could be "hidden".
I endorse Jim's comments

Reply

Susan Smith

3/1/2018 02:45:37 pm

Candy, we voted for you based on your promise to improve the parking! This must be a joke...surely there is more than this? repainting? thats it? What about the parking spaces?

Reply

Candy Bingham

6/1/2018 03:54:36 pm

Hi Susan. This is just the start. Council is currently working on a complete overview of parking in Manly which will be released in February. The challenge is that there will never be enough parking during the busy summer months. We need to give locals priority and encourage others to come by public transport.

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